Previews

Mythica

Imagine an MMORPG where you are already immortal. You died on the battlefield in valor and are whisked away to meet your god. In turn, he sets you on a truly epic quest where you are one of many trying to prevent the final apocalypse. You don't start as a low-level character fighting your way through snakes, bunnies or other woodland creatures that have just as much chance of kicking your ass as you snuffing theirs.

Welcome to Mythica, a new massively multiplayer game from Microsoft that pulls from the rich and epic background of Norse mythology. And we can tell you right now, this game is going to be big ... not just in terms of potential, but also in scale. Imagine you and your pals going toe-to-toe with a giant that stands more than 10 times your size or a creature so large that it encompasses the world. We mean BIG!

Matt Wilson, executive producer on the project, said the game will revolve around a Norse storyline because that mythology is what basically started it all. "I think it is a great basis for what we're all familiar with and what we have enjoyed over the years, be it Dungeons & Dragons or The Lord of the Rings. It is such a rich mythology with a lot of cool stories that have been told before that we can pull from to present inside of our game."

You're in the Army Now!

The story begins with the player -- already a great Viking warrior -- being carried lifeless from a battle by the Valkyries to Asgard and a meeting with Odin, the leader of the gods. With new life, you learn that the final cataclysm of Ragnarok -- the end of the world and the gods at the hands of the dreaded Fire Giants -- has been foretold and Odin wants no part of it. He is calling up an army of immortal heroes to prevent it. You have just been drafted.

"Mythica is all about earning your godhood," said Hal Milton, senior game designer. "Overcoming the challenges of the world, fulfilling the quests from your patron and answering the prayers of mortals, while all the while preparing for the final fight in Muspellheim where strength, stealth, craft and cunning must combine to stop Surt and Sinmora's Fire Giant brood. The important question the players get to have fun with is: What kind of god do you want to become? Loved? Feared? You'll have plenty of opportunities to try out different approaches."

Before you leave Asgard, you must choose from one of 12 patron gods, all based on the Aesir and Vanir gods from Norse mythos. Each god represents a character class and provides you with your power and energy. The classes derive their abilities and skills from four "energies:" Physical, Magical, Order and Chaos. Each class has two energies.

If you are familiar with Norse legends, you may be able to guess the gods that will be making an appearance, but only four classes and gods are being unveiled at this time:

Screenshot: A female Pyromancer.

Berserker: Thor is the patron. This class is all about massive offense. As a berserker gains power, he starts losing armor and gains tattoos and symbols, each with their own inherent power. You'll know berserkers by what they look like and how much armor they wear. Energies are Physical and Order.

Pyromancer: Holla is the patron. This fire-based class draws on magic and makes for an amazing siege weapon, focusing on area of effect destruction. Spells provide a big area of effect, making it easy to destroy buildings and tear down walls. Energies are Magical and Chaos. "The Pyromancer seeks to master and control fire and heat," Milton said. "They wouldn't be effective against Fire Giants if they just threw flames around. They have a series of abilities focused around using fire against fire."

StormWright: Frey is the patron. This class is all about controlling the elements. Cold, wind and rain are all available to create huge amounts of "crowd control damage." Energies are Magical and Order. The name was originally the Storm Druid.

Initial drawing of a Huntress.

Huntress: Skadi is the patron. This class is all about spells and critical shots. It is derived from stealth and can utilize backstabbing and poisons. In certain areas of the game, experience will be rewarded when classes such as the Huntress find unique ways to solve problems. Energies are Physical and Chaos. "Skadi is the Goddess of Winter and the Winter Hunt," Milton said. "Her form preserved after the IceBlood Gale was unleashed on the Frost Giants 3,000 years earlier. But that's a whole different story."

Wilson said that one of the role-playing aspects of this game involves the energies. Players can combine energies to create greater effects. So a Huntress and StormWright could combine all four of their energies (or four classes could combine one energy each) to create tremendous spells with varying results.

The goal, Wilson said, is to make players feel powerful right away. "We've all gone adventuring where the first three to four hours are spent killing snakes or other small creatures to level up. Now, imagine if Thor is your patron and you get a hammer from him with an Earthquake ability. Slam that hammer to the ground and enemies fall at your feet. That is Power!"